Her Story
About Alejandra
I started my first job in the non-profit space in 2017 as a part-time role at the YMCA of Greater Houston. What was meant to be temporary turned into a passion, and nine years later I am now the Executive Director running one of their centers, the MD Anderson Faculty Family YMCA. I hold a bachelor's degree in fitness and human performance from the University of Houston Clear Lake, earned in 2018. My work focuses on operations and strengthening communities through accessible YMCA programs, and I am a member of TOCHI serving the Greater North Side area.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Alejandra
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to believing in myself and really caring for the community. I love building a strong community and being there for people. Not forgetting where I come from is always a great motivator to keep going and have a better impact on somebody else.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I received is to really just reflect and appreciate what I have done. Sometimes we spend a lot of time appreciating and thinking everything our team has done, but also appreciate the work that we have done ourselves.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell young women entering the field that you can do it all. The things that you think that you can't, you can. Growing up as the only girl with brothers who did certain tasks for me, I made sure to learn skills like changing a tire myself. Simple things like that remind every woman out there that you can do everything we can do, and sometimes we can even do it better.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge right now is expanding the work that we do and making sure that we are hitting communities effectively. There are some areas in Houston where we don't have YMCA locations but we do have YMCA sites, so we need to make sure we are targeting those communities the best way that we can.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty is most important, just doing everything in the honest way. Also never forgetting about caring for others and that connection. Honing and caring is one of the core values for the YMCA as well.
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